


A Talk at Camp

by EmpressMermalaid



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 18:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10542201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressMermalaid/pseuds/EmpressMermalaid
Summary: Noctis shares his concerns over a reckless move Ignis made in combat. He got away with only light injuries today, but what if next time he's not so lucky..?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a silly little drabble I wrote in a notebook while the boys travelled from timbukfuckyou on the left side of the map to Galadin Quay where I could reap that sweet, sweet, double XP bonus.

A long day on the road had left Ignis weary, eyes dry and skin tight, in desperate need of a bath, along with a fine layer of grime and weathering that comes from a life such as this. Despite the dangers they faced on a daily basis, it was a good lifestyle. A fulfilling one at that, and he wouldn't trade it for the world. He was blessed with the privilege of travelling from the Mountains to the Coast, sampling exotic cuisine, learning about new cultures, meeting new people... all the while he had the pleasure of journeying with friends and the satisfaction of keeping his Royal Highness, the Crown Prince himself safe.

Ignis sat in a stiff folding chair by the camp fire that Gladio had built as the sun faded to obscurity behind a curtain of solemn grey butts on the horizon. A smile managed to work itself to his tire face. It was a pleasant night. Gladio was sprawled across a sleeping bag on his back, using a mossy stump as a head rest as he ignored everything around him in favour of absorbing himself in a small, worn out novella. Prompto was fiddling with his phone inside the tent while gorging himself on seconds of the meal Ignis had prepared for them that night – a thin, gruel-like soup made from gritty potatoes and some sad looking scraps they had salvaged from the bottom of their travel packs. It wasn't ideal, but it had been several days since they had last crossed through a town for supplies. Much of their time had been spent near the camp, as they hunted a rather elusive monster with a lucrative bounty on its head – more than enough to cover the cost of the repairs and services the Regalia so desperately needed before they embarked on any extended travels. It didn't help that this area had been overrun with Imperial units, ensuring that moving freely from place to place was all but an impossibility for their small squad. Noctis had attempted to fish something palatable from one of the nearby lakes to supplement the meals, but most regrettably the lake was being used as a regular watering hole by a number of beastly herds and it seemed to be that all of the fish were too spooked to even come near the surface let alone near one of their lures. Speaking of Noctis...

The Prince was nowhere to be seen. Ignis' eyebrows lowered slightly with concern. He rose from his seat, and his eyes immediately fell on the familiar shape of Noctis' back, seated just outside the light of the camp fire on a rocky outcropping by himself. A brooding royal was far from an unfamiliar sight in their party but there was something off about tonight. Something different. Ignis approached him quietly, as respectful of his privacy as he could be. There were a million reasons the Prince may be partial to solitude tonight, and Ignis was loathe to intrude unnecessarily.

“Noctis,” Ignis announced himself curtly. Noctis threw him a half hearted glance over his shoulder and turned away, silent. A most interesting reaction indeed. Even at the worst of times, Noctis always afforded the members of their entourage the simple pleasantries of a “hello”. This truly _was_ something different.

“I fear you are... unhappy with me,” Ignis pressed tentatively, as though dipping his toes into the icy water of this conversation, “if this is in regards to the paltry offering of tonight's meal, I _do_ apologise. The lack of decent ingredients at hand has made a mockery of my culinary ability. I assure you, I will make amends the next time we pass by an outpost – I will stock up on what I can and-”

Noctis sighed loudly, irritation filtering through from his tone to his body language in the way he tensed and his shoulders hunched defensively. Ignis was so taken aback by the sudden outburst of attitude that he fell silent immediately. Noctis tugged at the cuff of one of his gloves, refusing to meet Ignis' gaze.

“You know it's not about the food. The food is _fine_ ,” he muttered below his breath as though afraid of the others overhearing. So this was to be a private conversation. Ignis was struck with a sudden feeling of unease. Noctis was the type of person who wore his heart on his sleeve, at least in the presence of his friends. He was typically the kind who would share information quite freely between his companions, so to find oneself caught with him in what felt to be a communication ambush such as this was as surprising as it was unsettling to say the least.

“Then I'm not sure what exactly this could be about,” Ignis replied levelly, adjusting his glasses. He carefully took a seat alongside the Prince, an arm length's space between them.

Noctis looked at him, but his expression in the shadows of the forest could only be described as withered.

“What you did today was unacceptable,” Noctis said with a scowl.

“Whatever do you mean?” Ignis recoiled slightly, his eyebrows raised in shock by Noctis' accusatory tone.

“ _Today_ ,” Noctis stressed the word, his eyes flashing with a poignant fierceness as they caught the light of the fire behind them. Ignis stared at him in silent confusion and concern. He has never seen Noctis look quite so sullen and spiteful for no apparent reason before.

“When we were fighting that group of Magitek scouts,” Noctis continued when it became clear to him that Ignis had no idea what he was talking about.

“Ahh... yes,” Ignis mused softly, still unsure of the specifics though he began immediately wracking his brain for any type of recollection of something he may have done that would have displeased the Prince. He was coming up empty.

The blank look in his eyes must have shown because Noctis gave a frustrated click of his tongue, gesturing at nothing in particular as he bitterly replied “see? You don't even know what I'm talking about!”

“That is... correct,” Ignis readjusted his glasses once more, rather hating being put on the spot so unprepared, “forgive me, but... I haven't the slightest idea what you might be referring to.”

“ _This_ ,” Noctis said, the words hissing through his teeth, voice raised beyond his previous mumblings as he launched himself across the rock to grab Ignis' arm. His fingers closed around the coarse thickness of a bandage, wound tightly from Ignis' wrist to elbow and hidden by the long sleeve of his shirt.

“Don't think I didn't notice!” Noctis pouted churlishly, visibly upset as he withdrew his hand at Ignis' sudden sharp gasp of pain.

“I, ahh... yes,” Ignis nodded, rubbing his bandage unhappily, “I simply tripped during our battle today. Nothing to concern yourself with.”

“ _No_ ,” Noctis snapped, “don't think I didn't notice that you got hurt protecting _me_.”

Ignis had the good sense to at least look a _little_ guilty as realisation dawned on him. So he had not been as stealthy as he originally thought.

“I was merely performing my duty,” Ignis sniffed.

“You were _reckless_ ,” Noctis rebutted sternly, “the very thing you are always telling me _not_ to be.”

“I did what had to be done.”

“You jumped blindly in front of a _sniper_!” Noctis had raised his voice progressively over the course of their conversation and it was now at a point where Gladio and Prompto had noticed and peered over at them with inherent interest. Both made the smart call not to interfere.

“I had the situation under control,” Ignis replied with a terse matter-of-factness, “today was no different to any other time we have faced the Empire.”

Noctis shook his head.

“ You haven't nearly died _every other time_.”

Ignis scowled slightly.

“I think-” his voice took on a sharp edge of haughty austerity, “you may be overreacting a little.”

“Mm-mm,” Noctis shook his head again, eyes looking ahead to the forest though his expression was one of hard lined determination and dawning comprehension, “I guess I'd never really thought about it before...” he began slowly. “What all of this really meant.”

“I don't follow,” Ignis responded stiffly.

“I won't have you throw away your life for mine, Ignis.”

“Now you're just being dramatic.”

“It's not really dramatic if it's true,” Noctis muttered, “I'm the reason you're all out here. Any danger you face is because of me.”

“If you're going to try and tell me not to do my job-” Ignis began warningly, but Noctis cut him off.

“What job?” Noctis shrugged, his tone challenging as though he had stumbled on some great truth and was frustrated that Ignis was seemingly not seeing the same reality.

“I am sworn to keep you safe,” Ignis replied indignantly, “that is both my promise to your father and my honour as your friend.”

“What good is a promise to protect me if you're dead?”

Ignis tutted with frustration.

“Well I don't exactly plan on perishing any time soon.”

“Isn't that just the thing though?” Noctis gestured vaguely to the dark forest. The protective runes surrounding the camp site paint the pale skin of his arm with eerie blue shadows, “none of us really get to plan when we die.”

“Oh Noctis...” Ignis motioned to place a comforting hand on the Prince's shoulder, but Noctis shrugged him off.

“This isn't about my Father, if that's what you think,” Noctis said solemnly, though it was clear that the topic weighed heavily on his mind even now. “Look, you promised him you would keep me safe right? You've told me over and over that you're here to look out for me. I can take care of myself. I don't need you to do everything for me. I don't need you to take every hit. I had the same training you did. Isn't it about time I looked out for you too for once?”

Noctis' face was grave, though Ignis couldn't help but let out a short, nervous chuckle.

“Well it's quite considerate of you, but you really shouldn't be worrying about me. You have far more important things on your plate.”

“You were _shot,”_ Noctis continued to push his point as he pointed out Ignis' injury, his eyes darkening and his mouth pulled into a taut line.

“It's barely a scratch, I was simply grazed in combat. We've all suffered far worse than this.” Ignis held up his arm for emphasis.

It was true. What was also true was the fact that today a Magitek sniper had taken a shot at Noctis, and it was also true that Ignis had put himself between them without a moment's hesitation. The sniper was out of traditional Magitek army formations and all of them had over looked the would be assassin. Noctis hadn't seen him. Noctis wouldn't have seen the shot. Noctis wouldn't have been able to block it in time. Ignis did what he had to do. Protect Noctis – no matter the cost. He knew just as well as any of them what was on the line. He had been pleased to have escaped today's confrontation with nothing more than a burnt, ripped shirt sleeve and a red welt running down the length of his left arm.

“I saw something today,” Noctis continued, clearly troubled by something he was struggling to articulate, “it was like... it was like time slowed down for a second. I don't know if this is part of my powers, or just... something weird. That sniper took the shot and suddenly you were just _there_ , but...”

So he had seen the sniper after all.

“What is it?” Ignis prompted as Noctis continued to mouth almost silently as the right words eluded him.

“The only reason that bullet didn't land directly through your head is because Gladio knocked him off balance when he downed that huge scout mech they had with them.”

Ignis raised his eyebrows. He was surprised – this information was new to him, but he felt as though Noctis being this rattled meant the news was more serious than he had originally thought.

“Then... I shall be sure to thank Gladio,” Ignis said, at a loss for what else to say.

“Please...” Noctis wrung his hands in his lap, twisting them anxiously, “please, just... don't take any risks like that again. One of these days you might end up seriously hurt... don't let it be because of me.”

Like the dawn of the sun over the crest of the hills on the horizon, Ignis felt as though he finally understood how Noctis felt. The displaced Prince had all but lost everything already. To lose a friend, a companion, part of his most trusted entourage now of all times would serve to be a devastating blow – one that Ignis doubted the Prince may ever recover from.

“I cannot guarantee that I will not gladly put your safety above me own, however...” Ignis grasped Noctis' shoulder as the latter leant wearily in to the comforting weight of his touch this time, “I will do everything within my power to ensure my own safety with equal measure. I always have, and I always will. Sometimes I think you forget I am a seasoned profession. This is what I do.”

Noctis smiled meekly. He had been so caught up in his own dark, twisted anxiety and fear that those thoughts had taken and run away with him. Ignis stood, flexing his bandaged arm experimentally, seemingly satisfied with the results without being _too_ slighted by the pain. He offered his good hand to Noctis, who grabbed it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

“Now,” Ignis straightened the hem of his shirt methodically, “let's get you back to camp.”

“There you go again,” Noctis let a mildly playful smile break through the cracks in his otherwise macabre visage, “always mothering me.”

“I said I was protecting you no matter what,” Ignis grinned fiercely as he pushed his glasses back up his nose, “from the Empire _and_ from catching a cold. Now let's go.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was written somewhere around Chapter Three, so when I got to about Chapter Seven or so and shit gets real, well... all I could think of was that it made this little drabble all the more heart wrenching.
> 
> Just a reminder that you can see more of my shit in the following places:
> 
> [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/ladymermalaid)  
> [Tumblr (main)](http://www.ladymermalaid.tumblr.com)  
> [Tumblr (porny side blog)](http://www.empressmermalaid.tumblr.com)
> 
> Did you enjoy this fic? Chuck me a comment (even if it's just a single, solitary grunt) and you will fill me with such pride and vanity and appreciation I will have no choice but to write more and update more regularly to soak up more of that sweet, sweet recognition. It's that simple!


End file.
